Crate or container



May 12, 1953 w. J. CELLA CRATE OR CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 17, 1950 May 12, 1953 w. J. CELLA 2,638,239

CRATE OR CONTAINER Filed Aug. 17, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

ll/mvr Patented May 12, 1953 UNITED" STATES PAT ENT OFFICE r CRATE R CONTAINER William J. Celia, Huntington, N. Y. Application August 17, 1950, SerialNo, 180,607 3 CliilfiS'. (Cl. 217-69) This invention relates to crates or containers of the character usually employed for holding bottled goods, such as milk bottles or glass or paper, or simiiar articles.

An object of the invention is to provide a metal mesh bottom in a container of" this character, and with means by which a firm and secure anchorage of said bottom with the sidewalls of the container will be effected. Another object of the invention is to provide means foranchoring th mesh bottom, as above mentioned, and to utilize portions of said anchoring means stacking guides for the container.

Still another object of the invention is to pro vide means by which the lower edge portion or a crate or container of the character described will be strongly reinforced, and said reinforcing means or elements thereof may be utilized as a means by which a mesh bottom may be secured at its edges to the sidewalls oi the crate.

These and other objects to be hereinafter set forth are attained by the invention, a more par ticular description of which will follow and be set forth in the claims appendedhereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein. an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed, Fig. 1 is a view lookingata portion of the under side or bottom of a crate or container constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a portion of the lower part of the crate; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a view on a reduced scale of the crate looking at the bottom of the same; Fig. 5 is a perspective view in section of the inside reinforcing strip; Fig. 6 is a similar View of the outside reinforcing strip, Fig. '7 is a sectional view of a modified structure, Fig. 8 is a sectional view through another modified construction, and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the reinforcing member of the structure shown in Fig. 8.

The container or crate, which may be of the type generally employed for holding milk bottles or paper milk containers, is provided with the usual four walls indicated at 1 to 4 inclusive, said walls being connected together in the known manner to provide a strong and rigid rectangular structure. The bottom of the crate is preferably formed of metal wire mesh 5 or similar foraminous material of non-corrosive metal or coated with a rust-preventiv coating. At its side edges, the mesh bottom 5 is downwardly bent as indicated at 6, these downwardly-bent edges 6 being extended behind the vertical flange 1 of an inner metal reinforcing strip 8 which overlies th inner face of the four walls of the crate at the lower edges thereof. The walls of the box may be slightly undercut as indicated at 2!! and the-mesh bottom fits below said undercut as seen in Fig. 3.

It will be noted that the downwardly-bent edges of the mesh bottom 5 are thus clamp'ingly held between the vertical flange I of the inner reinforcing strip which is secured in place by spaced rivets or equivalent fastening elements" 9 extending through the vertical flange i and passing through the walls of the box, and which are usually, but not necessarily, of wood, and through the vertical flange ill of an outer metallic reinforcing strip ii. The outer reinforcing strip II extends along the lower portion of the four walls of the crate on the outer side of the same and said reinforcing strip is maintained in position by means of the-rivets 9.

Provided at the lower end of the outer reinforcin strip H is an integral inturned flange [2 which is disposed against the iower edge M of the four walls of the crate, and said flange thus acts as a protective element or shoe for the lower edges of the box. The inner edge of the flange l'i rests in contact with a part of the vertical flange l of the inner reinforcing strip 8 so that the two strips 8" and H are effect a U-shaped reinforcement effectively enclosing: the lower edges or the four walls of the crate and providing protection: therefor.

It will be noted that in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the lower portion of the inner reinforcing strip 8 projects below the flange i2 on the strip II as shown at [5 and this downwardly-projecting part It constitutes a stacking guide by means of which one crate may be readily stacked on top of another. This extended part I5 readily fits into the top of a crate on which a second crate is placed to thus maintain a stack of crates in vertical align ment. The lower edge of the inner reinforcing strip is provided with an inwardly-extending flange 19 for reinforcement and to provide a surface on which the crate will rest when it is placed on a support.

In instances wherein a stacking guide is not required, the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. '7 may be employed. Therein, the lower edges of the four side walls of the crate are embraced by a U-shaped metal reinforcement l6 provided with an integrally formed inner vertical flang l'i behind which the down'turned edges 6 of the mesh bottom 5 are confined. The rivets 9 extend through these flanges; through the mesh 5; through the walls of the crate and through the outer flange I8, such rivets thus 3 attaching the reinforcement to the walls of the crate and serving to hold th edges of the mesh confined between the flange l1 and the box walls.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the bottom reinforcing strip 2| is :provided with an outer wall 22 and an inner flange 23, the flange 23 having an inturned lip 24 at its upper edge behind which the downturned edge 6 of the mesh bottom is engaged. The rivets 9 extend through the wall 22, the flange 23 and through the wall 1 and the mesh 5, thus anchoring the mesh in place and holding the strip 2| securely on the bottom edge of the walls of the box. The strip 2| is so channelled or stepped as to provide an integral rib 25 serving as a stacking guide in the manner similar to the strip 1 of Fig. 3. The mesh bottom has its edge portion confined under the undercut portion 20 of the side walls.

The arrangement above described results in the production of a container or crate with a metal wire mesh bottom which allows for free drainage of water out of the bottom when ice is placed around the bottled goods held in the crate. The reinforcements herein described not only serve to provide strength and protection for the loweredge of the crate but aid in retaining the bottom in place and a strong and sturdy structure is the result.

Having described one embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. A crate or container of the character described having connected side walls, the lower edge portions of said walls being reinforced by a channel-shaped reinforcing means, said means including an outer strip having a vertical flange and a horizontal flange disposed against the bottom edge of the side walls, said means also including an inner strip having a vertical flange disposed against the inside face of the walls and having a bottom inturned flange, said inner strip having a lower part projecting below the horizontal flange on the outer strip whereby said projecting part will serve as a stacking guide for the crate, and a bottom in the crate provided with edge portions located between the vertical flange of the inner stri and the inside face of the side walls.

2. A crate or container of the character described comprising, a plurality of side walls in connected relation, a wire mesh bottom in the crate, said mesh bottom having a downturned edge, a metal channel-shaped strip fitted along the bottom edge of the several walls of the box, said strip having inner and outer vertical flanges, the inner flange having a laterally-bent upper edge directed toward the box wall and confining the lower edge portion of the bottom between it and the outer vertical flange, the wall being undercut to receive said laterally-bent edge, a step in the strip providing a rib located inwardly from the side wall and extending downwardly from the lower edge of the same to provide a stacking guide, and fastening elements extending through the strip, wall and bottom to hold the strip attached to the wall and to maintain the bottom in place.

3. A crate or container of the character described having a vertical wall, the lower edge of said wall being reinforced by a channel-shaped metallic reinforcement fitting over said edge, said reinforcement including an outer vertical flange disposed against the outer face of the wall, a horizontal flange disposed against the lower edge of the wall, and an inner flange overlying the inner face of the wall, the inner flange extending downwardly below the horizontal flange to form a stacking guide for the crate, and a mesh bottom for the container provided with a downturned end introduced between the inner flange and the wall, and fastening elements extending through the inner and outer flanges, through the wall and through the downturned end of the bottom.

WILLIANI J. CELLA.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 824,891 Van Hoesen July 3, 1906 1,432,359 Rosenthal Oct. 17, 1922 2,017,264 Taylor Oct. 15, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 47,528 Denmark July 10, 1933 

